WBBL Hurricanes Clash Burnie Bound

Burnie in Tasmania's North-West will play host to at least one Women’s Big Bash League Hurricanes home game next season in a first for the Coast.

“The Hodgman Liberal Government is continuing to deliver on our commitment to take the Big Bash spectacle to Tasmania’s regions,” Liberal Member for Braddon Adam Brooks said.

“We are providing $200,000 to support three games – one in the North-West and two in the North.

“This will be the first time North-West Coast fans will be able to enjoy the fast-paced format in their own backyard.”

One or possibly two WBBL|04 Hurricanes home games will be played at West Park in Burnie this summer during the season’s full expanded league of seven home and seven away games.

“This is great news for cricket fans and North-West Tasmanians, with the games not only putting on a sporting spectacle, but creating flow-on benefits to the local economy,” Mr Brooks said.

“Importantly, it will show young cricket fans the sorts of potential opportunities available to them, inspiring the next generation of stars.

“It will also provide motivation for Coasters to stay active and play sport, which will help us achieve our target of reducing Tasmania’s rate of obesity.”

Cricket Tasmania Chief Executive Nick Cummins said Cricket Tasmania is “committed to being Tasmania’s team and an organisation that represents all Tasmanians.”

“This announcement is another big step towards the Hurricanes living this vision, through taking elite cricket to all parts of the state, and by welcoming the local community to attend the games and being involved in cricket.

“There is nothing like seeing your heroes up close and personal and it’s exciting to think that young girls and boys who attend this Burnie match may be inspired to one day wear the Hurricanes purple.

“It can also prove a catalyst for venue upgrades as we currently support almost 45,000 cricket participants at 192 grounds right around Tasmania.

“34 per cent of these people are women or girls and that number is rising fast, so we are pretty keen for our WBBL Hurricanes to keep driving that female engagement too.”

This announcement follows the successful 2017 debut BBL and WBBL double-header in Launceston, which attracted nearly 17,000 fans to UTAS Stadium and a TV audience of almost 900,000.

MORE TO COME... As $350,000 pledged by the Federal Government for scoreboard, lighting and change room upgrades for West Park.